Coronavirus and working from home

The coronavirus outbreak is having a serious impact on day to day life across the globe. The UK, alongside India, China, France, Italy, Poland and New Zealand, are in lockdown. Many workers who are usually office-based are now working from home and navigating social distancing.

An increasing number of people are in self-isolation either due to having contracted the virus, been near someone who has or as a precaution having shown possible symptoms of COVID-19. Vulnerable people, such as those with a weak immune system or with other health issues are self-isolating for significant periods of time to stay safe.

Home working best practices

With all this going on, it’s vital to ensure that your staff know how to remain safe, comfortable and productive whilst working from home. If employees are not used to remote working, then they might not have a dedicated workstation ready to use. To remedy this, employers need to communicate the essential things their employees will need to consider. This includes best practices for using computer equipment at home, guidance on posture and taking regular breaks to manage screen time.

Digital infrastructure

Workplaces also need to ensure that they have the digital infrastructure in place to support processes and work activities being undertaken remotely. Things to consider include a central place for all essentialdocumentationand a robustquality and risk management systemwhich allows you to have continued visibility of any occurrences and relevant actions. There are plenty ofdigital toolsout there to support communication to help keep your team connected.

Mental wellbeing and motivation

Once you have the foundations of home working covered, it’s also important to consider the mental wellbeing of your employees and what you can do to keep them motivated:

• Scheduling regular video calls to check in helps to keep everyone engaged and feel less isolated.• Having a dedicated workspace set up helps to separate work from home life.• Keeping to regular work hours also helps with this distinction and allows for regular communication with co-workers so that everything can still flow as smoothly as possible.• Ensure you are still taking breaks and getting up to move around regularly too.

While this is a difficult time for everyone, we’re lucky to have the technology at our disposal to help keep things going. Our Coronavirus Awareness and Home Working Training Course covers the key things you should be doing in the midst of thecoronavirus pandemicto keep yourself and your household safe. It also looks at the fundamentals of working from home so you can ensure that your workforce is being supported remotely.Find out more.

Free course for NHS Staff

Ideagen are delighted to offer our online remote work training course for free to NHS staff who are usually office based, helping them adjust to home working and to stay safe during the COVID-19 outbreak. Find Out More.

Written by

Ryan Church

Product Manager

Ryan Church joined the Ideagen family with our recent acquisition of WorkRite Ltd. He has more than 13 years’ experience in the health and safety e-learning sector and is now responsible for the growth and development of Q-Pulse WorkRite.

Having spent hundreds of hours annually liaising with customers across various sectors to understand their needs for effective e-learning solutions, he is well placed to ensure Q-Pulse WorkRite is at the leading edge of the market.